Section 300.40. Court's charge; submission of indictment to jury; counts to be submitted  


Latest version.
  • The court may submit to the jury only those counts  of  an  indictment
      remaining  therein  at  the  time  of  its charge which are supported by
      legally sufficient trial evidence, and  every  count  not  so  supported
      should  be  dismissed  by  a  trial  order  of  dismissal.   The court's
      determination as to which of the sufficient counts are to  be  submitted
      must be in accordance with the following rules:
        1.    If  the indictment contains but one count, the court must submit
      such count.
        2.  If a multiple count indictment contains consecutive  counts  only,
      the court must submit every count thereof.
        3. If a multiple count indictment contains concurrent counts of murder
      in  the  first  degree,  the court must submit every such count.  In any
      other case, if a multiple count indictment  contains  concurrent  counts
      only, the court must submit at least one such count, and may submit more
      than one as follows:
        (a)  With respect to non-inclusory concurrent counts, the court may in
      its discretion submit one or more or all thereof;
        (b)    With  respect  to  inclusory  concurrent counts, the court must
      submit  the  greatest  or  inclusive  count  and  may  or  must,   under
      circumstances  prescribed  in  section  300.50,  also submit, but in the
      alternative only, one or more of the lesser included counts.  A  verdict
      of  guilty  upon  the  greatest count submitted is deemed a dismissal of
      every lesser count submitted, but not an acquittal thereon.   A  verdict
      of  guilty upon a lesser count is deemed an acquittal upon every greater
      count submitted.
        4.  If a multiple count indictment contains  two  or  more  groups  of
      counts,  with  the  counts within each group being concurrent as to each
      other but consecutive as to those of the  other  group  or  groups,  the
      court  must  submit  at  least  one  count  of each group, in the manner
      prescribed in subdivision three.  If an indictment contains one or  more
      of  such  groups of concurrent counts, and also one or more other counts
      each of which is consecutive as to every other count of the  indictment,
      the court must submit each individual consecutive count and at least one
      count of each group of concurrent counts.
        5.   If an indictment contains two inconsistent counts, the court must
      submit at least one thereof.  If a verdict of guilty upon  either  would
      be  supported by legally sufficient trial evidence, the court may submit
      both counts in the alternative and authorize the jury  to  convict  upon
      one or the other depending upon its findings of fact.  In such case, the
      court  must  direct the jury that if it renders a verdict of guilty upon
      one such count it must render a verdict of not guilty  upon  the  other.
      If  the court is satisfied that a conviction upon one such count, though
      supported by legally sufficient trial evidence,  would  be  against  the
      weight  of  the evidence while a conviction upon the other would not, it
      may in its discretion submit the latter count only.
        6.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the court  is
      not required to submit any particular count to the jury when:
        (a)   The people consent that it not be submitted; except that nothing
      contained in this paragraph limits the right  accorded  a  defendant  by
      section  300.50  to  the  submission,  in  certain situations, of counts
      charging lesser included offenses; or
        (b)  The number of counts or the complexity of the indictment requires
      selectivity of counts by the court in order to avoid placing  an  unduly
      heavy  burden  upon  the jury in its consideration of the case.  In such
      case, the court may submit to the jury a portion of the counts which are
      representative of the people's case.
    
        7.  Every count not submitted to the  jury  is  deemed  to  have  been
      dismissed  by the court.  Where the court, over objection of the people,
      refuses to submit a  count  which  is  consecutive  as  to  every  count
      actually  submitted,  such  count  is deemed to have been dismissed by a
      trial order of dismissal even though no such order was expressly made by
      the court.